The Original Pantry Café set to reopen New Year's Eve with new ownership

Nearly six months after The Original Pantry Café in downtown Los Angeles closed its doors, the dining institution celebrated its upcoming New Year's Eve reopening with a community gathering outside the restaurant on Thursday morning.

The new owner, Leo Pustilnikov, said the restaurant will be open for 24 hours on the reopening New Year's Day, but regular business hours have not been determined because he's not sure of staffing levels yet.  An agreement reached with the labor union UNITE HERE Local 11 is to bring back restaurant employees, and Pustilnikov said he thinks 20 employees will be hired back.

"So I think that The Pantry really is a story of LA and downtown LA, which has gone through its ups and downs, which I have been investing in for, almost decades now, and so, I thought it made sense,"  Pustilnikov said of his new ownership.

The Pantry first opened in 1924, and at the time of its 2025 closure, it was owned by the estate of former Mayor Richard Riordan.

The late Mayor Riordan bought the business in 1982 and owned and operated the restaurant as a personal passion. Upon his death in 2023, ownership of The Pantry passed to the Richard J. Riordan Trust.

In 2025, the estate sought to sell the business and closed its doors, claiming the restaurant was never profitable and served primarily as Riordan's passion project during his life. 

Pustilnikov took on the project, connecting with the restaurant's longevity within the community.  "Well, there aren't many that are 101 years old. There aren't many that are in downtown and that have lived through the ups and downs of downtown," he said.      

One big change revealed at Thursday's ceremony was that when The Pantry reopens, it will take credit cards -- in the past, it was a cash-only business.  

Longtime customer, Jimmy G., was there the day the restaurant closed in March and was celebrating on Thursday for its reopening. "Well, I've been coming here since I was 5 years old. This place has so much history with LA; it is LA.," he said. 

A labor union news release said Thursday's event is to "celebrate the forthcoming reopening of the beloved 101-year-old restaurant with city leaders, community allies and loyal patrons." 

The reopening ceremony occurred on Thursday, September 11, from 9 to 10 a.m., at 877 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles.